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Iranians targeted Israelis: Thai police

February 16, 2012

Thai police say that three Iranians suspected of unleashing a series of blasts rocking downtown Bangkok earlier this week intended to attack Israeli diplomats.

https://p.dw.com/p/1442T
In this combination of images made from surveillance video on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, and released by the Spokesman Office of the National Thai Police, three Iranian bomb suspects, identified by police from left, as Saeid Moradi, Mohummad Hazaei and Zedhaghat Zadech Masoud, walk down the middle of a residential street in Bangkok, Thailand, after the first blast at an explosives-filled house where the three were staying. Moradi was injured and four civilians were wounded Tuesday in a series of explosions in Bangkok. (Foto:Spokesman Office of National Thai Police/AP/dapd)
Image: AP/Spokesman Office of National Thai Police

Three Iranians linked to explosions in the Thai capitol on Tuesday were targeting Israeli diplomats, Thailand's police chief said Thursday.

"They were aiming at individuals, specifically Israeli diplomats," National Police Chief Prewpan Dhamapong said, having interviewed Mohammad Kharzei, 42, who was arrested trying to leave the country Tuesday night.

The three men were all staying in a rented house in Bangkok when explosives stored there apparently exploded accidentally, causing them to flee. One of the men, Saeid Moradi, lost both his legs during his escape attempt when he threw a grenade at a police vehicle, only to have it bounce back at him. He had also thrown a grenade at a passing taxi on the busy Sukhimvit Road. Four people were injured in that attack.

A third man, Masoud Sedagzadeh, had been detained on Wednesday in Malaysia, attempting to secure a flight to Iran, but was returned to Bangkok at the request of Thai authorities.

Thai police are also searching for a fourth suspect, an Iranian woman named Leila Rohani who had rented the house, but she is suspected to have already left the country.

Plenty of evidence

The four now face charges of possession of explosives, attempted murder, attempted murder of a policeman and causing explosions that damaged property. Prewpan said he believed there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute them.

Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that the country was now taking "whatever measures are required" to allow its diplomats to continue working.

Israel has accused Iran of waging a state-sponsored terror campaign against Israeli targets overseas, including an explosion in New Delhi that injured a diplomat's wife, another foiled attack in Georgia on the same day and Tuesday's bungled attempt in Thailand.

Thai police were planning to cooperate with the Indian embassy in Bangkok in the investigation of the incident in New Delhi, Prewpan said.

st/pfd (dpa, AP)